Men have an important role to play in family and community health improvement. However, most hygiene promotion programmes focus on women only. Specific examples on how men are targeted are difficult to find. We feel this is an omission as in order to reduce the main risky hygiene practices, effective hygiene promotion must involve every member of the community: women, children and men. Involving men and encouraging their responsibility in hygiene and sanitation improvements is important because men often have a key role in decision making and they often control finances. Men who are well informed on the benefits of hygiene improvement for their family are more likely to support their wives and children to change their own behaviours. This paper describes the benefits and lessons learned by NEWAH, a national NGO based in Nepal, who took up the challenge to focus hygiene promotion on men.

Appleton, B. and Sijbesma, C. (2005) Hygiene Promotion [online], thematic overview paper, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, Delft, The Netherlands, available from: http://www.irc.nl/page/27611 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/page/27611

Burgers, L., Boot, M.T. and van Wijk-Sijbesma, C.A. (1988) Hygiene Education in Water Supply and Sanitation Programmes: Literature Review with Selected and Annotated Bibliography [online], technical paper series no. 27, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands, available from: http://www.irc.nl/docsearch/title/109555 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/docsearch/title/109555

James, A., Khadka, R., Shahi, D. and Appave, J. (2003) Evaluating the Impact of NEWAH's Gender and Poverty Approach Using the NEWAH Participatory Assessment: A Report of the Assessment of 15 Communities in 5 Development Regions, NEWAH, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Matthewson, P. and Ayele, M. (2005) A Healthy Debate: A Discussion Paper around Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion, Focusing on a WSSHP Project in Tigray, Ethiopia - 2005 [online], WaterAid Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, available from: http://www.wateraid.net/penweb/docs/WA_Eth_healthy_debate_05.pdf [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.wateraid.net/penweb/docs/WA_Eth_healthy_debate_05.pdf

NEWAH (2003) NEWAH's Gender and Poverty Approach: Findings from the Communities [online], NEWAH, Kathmandu, Nepal, available from: http://www.newah.org.np/pdf-file/findings.pdf [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.newah.org.np/pdf-file/findings.pdf

Ntow, S. (2009) ‘Sanitation Puzzle in Ghana: The Missing Chips’, paper prepared for the West Africa Regional Sanitation and Hygiene Symposium, Accra, Ghana, 3-5 November 2009 [online], available from: http://www.irc.nl/page/50839 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/page/50839

Van Wijk-Sijbesma, C.A. (1995) Gender in Community Water Supply, Sanitation and Water Resource Protection: A Guide to Methods and Techniques [online], occasional paper series no. 23, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands, available from: http://www.irc.nl/page/1856 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/page/1856

Appleton, B. and Sijbesma, C. (2005) Hygiene Promotion [online], thematic overview paper, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, Delft, The Netherlands, available from: http://www.irc.nl/page/27611 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/page/27611

Burgers, L., Boot, M.T. and van Wijk-Sijbesma, C.A. (1988) Hygiene Education in Water Supply and Sanitation Programmes: Literature Review with Selected and Annotated Bibliography [online], technical paper series no. 27, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands, available from: http://www.irc.nl/docsearch/title/109555 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/docsearch/title/109555

James, A., Khadka, R., Shahi, D. and Appave, J. (2003) Evaluating the Impact of NEWAH's Gender and Poverty Approach Using the NEWAH Participatory Assessment: A Report of the Assessment of 15 Communities in 5 Development Regions, NEWAH, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Matthewson, P. and Ayele, M. (2005) A Healthy Debate: A Discussion Paper around Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion, Focusing on a WSSHP Project in Tigray, Ethiopia - 2005 [online], WaterAid Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, available from: http://www.wateraid.net/penweb/docs/WA_Eth_healthy_debate_05.pdf [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.wateraid.net/penweb/docs/WA_Eth_healthy_debate_05.pdf

NEWAH (2003) NEWAH's Gender and Poverty Approach: Findings from the Communities [online], NEWAH, Kathmandu, Nepal, available from: http://www.newah.org.np/pdf-file/findings.pdf [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.newah.org.np/pdf-file/findings.pdf

Ntow, S. (2009) ‘Sanitation Puzzle in Ghana: The Missing Chips’, paper prepared for the West Africa Regional Sanitation and Hygiene Symposium, Accra, Ghana, 3-5 November 2009 [online], available from: http://www.irc.nl/page/50839 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/page/50839

Van Wijk-Sijbesma, C.A. (1995) Gender in Community Water Supply, Sanitation and Water Resource Protection: A Guide to Methods and Techniques [online], occasional paper series no. 23, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands, available from: http://www.irc.nl/page/1856 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/page/1856

Appleton, B. and Sijbesma, C. (2005) Hygiene Promotion [online], thematic overview paper, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, Delft, The Netherlands, available from: http://www.irc.nl/page/27611 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/page/27611

Burgers, L., Boot, M.T. and van Wijk-Sijbesma, C.A. (1988) Hygiene Education in Water Supply and Sanitation Programmes: Literature Review with Selected and Annotated Bibliography [online], technical paper series no. 27, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands, available from: http://www.irc.nl/docsearch/title/109555 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/docsearch/title/109555

James, A., Khadka, R., Shahi, D. and Appave, J. (2003) Evaluating the Impact of NEWAH's Gender and Poverty Approach Using the NEWAH Participatory Assessment: A Report of the Assessment of 15 Communities in 5 Development Regions, NEWAH, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Matthewson, P. and Ayele, M. (2005) A Healthy Debate: A Discussion Paper around Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion, Focusing on a WSSHP Project in Tigray, Ethiopia - 2005 [online], WaterAid Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, available from: http://www.wateraid.net/penweb/docs/WA_Eth_healthy_debate_05.pdf [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.wateraid.net/penweb/docs/WA_Eth_healthy_debate_05.pdf

NEWAH (2003) NEWAH's Gender and Poverty Approach: Findings from the Communities [online], NEWAH, Kathmandu, Nepal, available from: http://www.newah.org.np/pdf-file/findings.pdf [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.newah.org.np/pdf-file/findings.pdf

Ntow, S. (2009) ‘Sanitation Puzzle in Ghana: The Missing Chips’, paper prepared for the West Africa Regional Sanitation and Hygiene Symposium, Accra, Ghana, 3-5 November 2009 [online], available from: http://www.irc.nl/page/50839 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/page/50839

Van Wijk-Sijbesma, C.A. (1995) Gender in Community Water Supply, Sanitation and Water Resource Protection: A Guide to Methods and Techniques [online], occasional paper series no. 23, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands, available from: http://www.irc.nl/page/1856 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/page/1856

Appleton, B. and Sijbesma, C. (2005) Hygiene Promotion [online], thematic overview paper, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, Delft, The Netherlands, available from: http://www.irc.nl/page/27611 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/page/27611

Burgers, L., Boot, M.T. and van Wijk-Sijbesma, C.A. (1988) Hygiene Education in Water Supply and Sanitation Programmes: Literature Review with Selected and Annotated Bibliography [online], technical paper series no. 27, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands, available from: http://www.irc.nl/docsearch/title/109555 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/docsearch/title/109555

James, A., Khadka, R., Shahi, D. and Appave, J. (2003) Evaluating the Impact of NEWAH's Gender and Poverty Approach Using the NEWAH Participatory Assessment: A Report of the Assessment of 15 Communities in 5 Development Regions, NEWAH, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Matthewson, P. and Ayele, M. (2005) A Healthy Debate: A Discussion Paper around Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion, Focusing on a WSSHP Project in Tigray, Ethiopia - 2005 [online], WaterAid Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, available from: http://www.wateraid.net/penweb/docs/WA_Eth_healthy_debate_05.pdf [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.wateraid.net/penweb/docs/WA_Eth_healthy_debate_05.pdf

NEWAH (2003) NEWAH's Gender and Poverty Approach: Findings from the Communities [online], NEWAH, Kathmandu, Nepal, available from: http://www.newah.org.np/pdf-file/findings.pdf [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.newah.org.np/pdf-file/findings.pdf

Ntow, S. (2009) ‘Sanitation Puzzle in Ghana: The Missing Chips’, paper prepared for the West Africa Regional Sanitation and Hygiene Symposium, Accra, Ghana, 3-5 November 2009 [online], available from: http://www.irc.nl/page/50839 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/page/50839

Van Wijk-Sijbesma, C.A. (1995) Gender in Community Water Supply, Sanitation and Water Resource Protection: A Guide to Methods and Techniques [online], occasional paper series no. 23, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands, available from: http://www.irc.nl/page/1856 [accessed 21 July 2010]. http://www.irc.nl/page/1856